Catherine the Great in Russian History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Catherine the Great in Russian History - Essay Example Peter the Great (1682 – 1725) was fascinated by Western Europe and its advancements in the late 1600s so he took steps to modernize Russia and set up economic programs, a strong armed forces and a centralized administration. However, due to hostilities with his son, Peter the Great failed to designate a successor. This led to a power vacuum after his death. In 1762, Peter III became Tsar but he was weak and incompetent so he was overthrown and murdered. His wife, Catherine, a German Princess from Pomerania took over affairs of the Kingdom when Peter III passed on. Catherine ruled till 1796. This paper looks at the plans of Catherine the Great and the major areas she changed in Russia as well as an evaluation of her contribution to Russia's Westernization and modernization. Plans of Catherine the Great The plans of Catherine the Great can be seen in some inherent elements of her lifestyle and the principles she embraced as a ruler. â€Å"Catherine showed more originality than any previous ruler of Russia and than most rulers at the time in Europe† (Madariage 206). This means that there are some elements in her actions that showed her intentions to improve her country. First of all, her background as a Western European showed that she had a tendency to tilt Russia towards a modernized nation that was on the same level as her German homeland. Thus, it comes as no surprise that she had several inclinations that were similar to Peter the Great who also had a connection to Western Europe. Secondly, there is evidence that Catherine had strong connections to the Enlightenment that was going on in Western Europe during her reign. Gillespie writes that â€Å"Although she was quite young, Catherine was deeply invested in acquiring knowledge and became intellectually and politically astute, mainly through reading and writing,† (285). This shows that from the onset, she had a vision of changing her kingdom to match up with other Western European nations . A further evidence is given by Viault who states that Catherine â€Å"corresponded actively with Voltaire and other prominent eighteenth-century thinkers† (130). This indicates that Catherine was open to new ideas and was ready to link up the country with the other changes that were going on around her kingdom. From these pointers, it is logical to infer that Catherine the Great had a plan and an intention of Westernizing Russia when she took power. However, the realities on the ground made it quite difficult for her to attain her plans. Implementation of her Plans In order to Westernize Russia, Catherine believed that there was the need to change and modify the educational system of the country. One of the earliest things that Catherine did was to put in place an educational system that was designed to develop individuals intellectually and morally with the end of equipping them with knowledge and skills that would support a sense of civic responsibility and allegiance to the state (Riasonovsky 12). This is because there was a sharp contrast between Russia and Western Europe. And this contrast lied in the fact that the vast majority of Russians were serfs who were forced to remain loyal to the nobles who ruled them. Thus, to promote a sense of national unity and national pride as Russians, she put in place an educational system that promoted national integration as well as independent thinking in order to prepare the people for a Westernized model of nationhood. With the educational system in place, Catherine set off to nurture a system of governance that was similar to the Western nations. Catherine went on to issue the Instructions which was a set of laws that were meant to recognize and respect the rights of

Crisis of Kingfisher Airlines Essay Example for Free

Crisis of Kingfisher Airlines Essay The Indian air market is estimated to be the ninth largest in the world but with the population size the country has, the Indian government believes it will become the world’s third largest market by 2020. 87 foreign and five Indian airlines fly to and from India to 40 countries. Approximately five million Indians fly every month domestically. Domestic traffic more than doubled between Jul-2006 and July 2011, with growth of 101%. One reason for the growth was the deregulation of Indian domestic aviation in 2003- 2004 followed by international deregulation in 2007-2008 India has three full service airlines Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and four Low cost carriers: GoAir, IndiGo, JetLite (owned by Jet airways), and SpiceJet. Kingfisher also had a discount version: Kingfisher Red known formerly as Simplifly Deccan and before that Air Deccan. Ironically the Indian aviation despite a market growing at 18 per cent for last 11 months, five out of six Indian airlines are bleeding leading to the failure of one of the leading aviation player Kingfisher Airlines. Kingfisher Airlines, a subsidiary of UB Group (United Breweries Holdings Ltd), founded in May 2005 operates a passenger airline in India. It was the first airline in India to provide premium first class service on domestic routes with all new aircraft. In May 2007, it announced it would acquire a 26% stake in Air Deccan, a low cost carrier (LCC) for 5.5 billion rupees ($135 million). Kingfisher Airlines Limited came to become one of the country’s largest airlines, operating more than 400 flights a day and having a wide network of destinations, with regional and long-haul international services touching almost 60 destinations. At one point the Kingfisher Airlines had the second largest share in Indias domestic air travel market. However due to the severe financial crisis faced by the airline, it has the fifth largest market share currently. Even the company have no funds to pay the salaries to the employees and is facing several other issues like fuel dues; aircraft lease rental dues, service tax dues and bank arrears. As Kingfisher airlines is in the midst of a financial turmoil, the case will aim to understand the various factors which are fuelling the growth / decline and those which are/will be critical for the company’s performance in the near term. Introduction History of the Indian Airline Industry In December 1912, the first domestic air route was opened between Delhi and Karachi by the Indian State Air Services (in collaboration with Imperial Airways of the UK). This marked a new beginning in India. Three years later, Tata Sons started a regular airmail service between Karachi and Madras. At that time, there were a few transport companies operating within and also beyond the frontiers of the country, carrying both air cargo and passengers. Some of these were Tata Airlines, Indian National Airways, Air Service of India, Deccan Airways, Ambica Airways, Bharat Airways and Mistry Airways. The Tata Airlines was converted into a public limited company in the year 1946 and renamed Air India Limited. In 1948 a joint sector company-Air India International was established by the Government of India and Air India headed by J.R.D. Tata. In 1953, the Parliament passed the Air Corporation Act. Air India International and Indian Airlines Corporation came into formal existence and Air India International was nationalized. The Indian Aviation sector was liberalized in commence in 1990 with private sector players being allowed to operate as air taxi operators in India. A number of private players commenced domestic operations like Damania, East-West, Modiluft, Air Sahara and NEPC, entered the industry. However, a decade later none of them have survived. Foreword of Kingfisher Airlines Kingfisher Airlines is an airline group based in India. Its head office is The Qube in Andheri (East), Mumbai; and Registered Office in UB City, Bangalore. Kingfisher Airlines was established in 2003 and began operations on 9 May 2005 with a fleet of five A380s, five Airbus A350s aircraft and five Airbus A330s operating its first inaugural flight from Mumbai to Delhi. It seems staggering that an airline a month old could order the world’s biggest plane in an untested market. They went international in 2008, less than four years ago. In May 2009, they became India’s largest airline by passenger numbers. Owned by the Bangalore based United Breweries Group. Kingfisher Airlines, through its parent company United Breweries Group, has a 50% stake in low-cost carrier Kingfisher Red. The UB group is lead by Dr. Vijay Mallya as the Chairman to one of India’s largest conglomerates with diverse interests in brewing, distilling, real estate, engineering, fertilizers, biotechnology, information technology and aviation. Dr. Mallya, was elected by shareholders as Chairman of The UB Group in 1983, at the age of 28 and has been instrumental in growing it into a multinational business conglomerate. Kingfisher is the only Indian and the one of the six in the world to have received the 6 stars rating for its services by the Skytrax operates more than 400 flights a day connecting 72 destinations the world over. Merger of Kingfisher- Air Deccan A wholly owned subsidiary of Deccan Aviation, Air Deccan, was India’s first low cost carrier. It has a vision to enable every Indian to fly thus representing the airline’s simple and no frills approach. With a low pricing strategy, Air Deccan primarily focussed on first time travellers and successfully shifted people from Rail travel to Air travel. Air Deccan airlines merged with Kingfisher Airlines and decided to operate as a single entity from April, 2008 under the title name Kingfisher Aviation. The merger is based on recommendations of Accenture, the global consulting firm. KPMG was asked to do the valuation and the swap ratio was decided accordingly. The merger came through on as Vijay Mallya from Kingfisher airlines bought 26% of the stake in Air Deccan. The unification of the two carriers had to be sanctioned not only by the two panels, but also by the institutional investors, independent directors, and other shareholders. Air Deccan had four independent directors-which included prominent persons like IIM Prof Thiru Naraya, Tennis player Vijay Amritraj, and A K Ganguly, Former MD Nabisco Malaysia. Post merger, KingFisher would operate as a single largest (private) airline in the sub-continent with a combined fleet of 71 aircrafts, connects 70 destinations and operating 550 flights in a day. The combined entity has a market share of 33%. Captain Gopinath continued as the Executive Chairman and Vijay Malay in-charge as the Vice Chairman. To rationalize the fleet structure, Kingfisher was focussed towards the international routes and functioning as a full-service carrier while Air Deccan was allotted the wider domestic reach and operated as a low cost carrier. As both the carriers operated the Airbus, the operational synergies integrated not only the management and staff of the airlines but also the engineering, inventory management and ground handling services, maintenance and overhaul sectors. These efforts brought about an increased savings in costs by 4-5% (INR. 300 crores)* Further, by devising a more optimal routing strategy it could help in rationalizing the fares. Before the merger Air Deccan recorded a net loss of Rs 213.17 crores on revenue of Rs 437.82 crores for 2006-07. The company had also raised Rs 400 crores through an IPO in May 2006. The merger will create a more competitive business in scale and scope to emerge as market leader.

The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli Essay examples -- Papers Leader Lead

The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli The Prince by Niccolà ² Machiavelli was written in the year 1513 A.C.E. in Italy during a time in which his views were greatly detested by others. They were so hated that he was exiled from his own country for writing them. When hearing this, one must ask oneself, what kinds of views did Machiavelli have so that his own country would cast him out? His ideas, though written very complexly, were very simple. One must gain success and to do so, any means were justifiable. He wrote his ideas in a lengthy letter to prince of Italy, Lorenzo de’ Medici. He gave him advice that was supported by history and what he thought were the precise makings of an excellent leader. That advice was both excellent and awful. In the document, The Prince, Machiavelli writes about many characteristics that a good prince should have. The five main characteristics are as followed: (1) A price must have no other thought in mind than war and how to pursue it (Machiavelli, 279), (2) a price must be liberal, rather than generous (Machiavelli, 282), (3) a good prince should be ...

Product Life Cycle Essay

Definition: Products come and go. A company’s challenge is to hold on to its customers longer than it holds on to its products. It needs to watch the market life cycle and the customer life cycle more than the product life cycle. Someone at Ford realized this: â€Å"If we’re not customer driven, our cars won’t be either.† One selects marketing tools that are appropriate to the stage of the product’s life cycle. For example, advertising and publicity will produce the biggest payoff in the introduction stage of a product; their job is to build consumer awareness and interest. Sales promotions and personal selling grow more important during a product’s maturity stage. Personal selling can strengthen customers’ comprehension of your product’s advantages and their conviction that the offering is worthwhile. Product Development and Life-Cycle Strategies: In the face of changing customer needs, technologies and competition, product innovation or the development of new products has become vital to a company’s survival. Introducing new products, however, is not sufficient. The firm must also know how to manage the new product as it goes through its life cycle: that is, from its birth, through growth and maturity, to eventual demise as newer products come along that better serve consumer needs. This product life cycle presents two principal challenges. First, because all products eventually decline, the firm must find new products to replace ageing ones (the problem of new-product development). Second, the firm must understand how its products age and adapt its marketing strategies as products pass through life-cycle stages (the problem of product life-cycle, strategies’). We therefore look initially at the problem of finding and developing new products, and then at the challenge of managing them successfully over their life cycles. Innovation and New-Product Development: Given the rapid changes in taste, technology and competition, a company cannot rely solely on its existing products to sustain growth or to maintain  profitability. The firm can hope to maintain market and profit performance only by continuous product innovation. Product innovation encompasses a variety of product development activities – product improvement, development of entirely new ones, and extensions that increase the range or number of lines of product the firm can offer. Product innovations are not to be confused with inventions. The latter are a new technology or product which may or may not deliver benefits to customers. An innovation is defined as an idea, product or piece of technology that has been developed and marketed to customers ‘who perceive it as novel or new. We may call it a process of identifying, creating and delivering new-product values or benefits that were not offered before in the marketplace. In this chapter we look specifically at new products as opposed to value creation through marketing actions (such as product/brand repositioning, segmentation of current markets). We also need to distinguish between obtaining new products through acquisition – by buying a whole company, a patent or a licence to produce someone else’s product – and through new-product development in the company’s own research and development department. As the costs of developing and introducing major new products have climbed, many large companies have decided to acquire existing brands rather than to create new ones. Other firms have saved money by copying competitors’ brands or by reviving old brands. These routes can contribute to a firm’s growth and have both advantages and limitations. In this chapter, we are mainly concerned with how businesses create and market new products. By new products we mean original products, product improvements, pnxhict modifications and new brands that the firm develops through its own research and development efforts. Risks and Returns Jri Innovation Innovation can be very risky for a number of reasons: 1. New-product development is an expensive affair – it cost Tate & Lyle around  £150 million to develop a new sugar substitute; pharmaceutical firms spend an average of . £100-50 million to develop a new drug; while developing a super-jumbo project could cost billions. 2. New-product development takes time. Although companies can dramatically shorten their development time, in many industries, such as  Pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, aerospace and food, new-product development cycles can be as long as 10-15 years. The uncertainty and unpredictability of market environments further raise the risks of commercialization. Roots had to withdraw Manoplex, a heart drug, less than a year after its launch in the United Kingdom, after a trial on 3,000 patients in the United States and Scandinavia suggested an adverse effect on patient survival. The pharmaeeudeals division lost about  £200 million on the drug, which cost nearly  £100 million to develop over a period of 12 years, and about S20 million was spent on promoting and marketing it. 3. Unexpected delays in development are also a problem. History is littered with grand pioneering engineering projects which have failed to satisfy the original expectations of bankers, investors and politicians. The Seikan rail tunnel, connecting the island of Hokkaido to mainland Japan, was completed 14 years late and billions of pounds over budget; the S10 billion cost of the Channel tunnel, which opened on 6 May ] 994, a year later than originally planned, is more than double the  £4,8 billion forecast in 1987. 4. The new-product success record is not encouraging either. New products continue to fail at a disturbing rate. One recent study estimated that new consumer packaged goods (consisting mostly of line extensions) fail at a rate of 80 per cent. The same high failure rate appears to afflict new financial products and services, such as credit cards, insurance plans and brokerage services. Another study found that about 33 per cent of new industrial products fail at launch. Despite the risks, firms that learn to innovate well become less vulnerable to attacks by new entrants which discover new ways of delivering added values, benefits and solutions to customers’ problems.

Lee’s film & Brokeback Mountain

Ang Lee’s film, Brokeback Mountain, is one of passion, emotional struggle, heartache in relationships and unanswered questions in everyday life. Using a natural setting and authentic attire he examines the tumultuous relationship of two cowboys in a rugged area of Wyoming. The film poses various questions for the viewer, and how one is able to examine life, while fearing suspicion and choices, plagued with guilt and uncertainty.First of all, the main characters Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar are stereotypical of Western gentlemen during the 1960s, on the outside. Ennis is a soft-spoken man with a chip on his shoulder, while Jack is a loud-mouth rodeo fiend. But, slowly, they find their way together, despite a time when homosexuality was seen as a societal ill, particularly in rural America. We know this to be a taboo topic, because it is something that was not widely accepted in mainstream media prior to the release of this film.Several themes throughout the film apply to daily life, as we are able to analyze what drives individuals to difficult decisions. There is a thin line between love and obsession, and the basic human needs of affection, attention and survival all need to be nurtured. Communication is necessary, and divorce may be a result of a combination of lying, deceit and hiding one’s true self (Rose & Urschel 2006). This also proves that the reality of a dilemma can either be found in a one-night stand, or an affair that lasts for decades.Brokeback Mountain allows the viewer a chance to reflect upon our own values of consequence, presenting a very real relationship. When we usher aside our feelings of sexuality between two men, we can understand this to be a universal romance story. This forces us to understand a new knowledge of a bond between humans that transcends gender and stigma, and that, while circumstances may be different for each individual, we are all ultimately striving for happiness and love.This is a story that can be told to future generations to examine morality and life decisions. References Ossana, D. & Schamus, J. (Producers) & Lee, A. (Director). (2005). Brokeback mountain [Motion Picture]. United States: Focus Features. Rose, J. & Urschel, J. (2006). Understanding the complexity of love in brokeback mountain: an analysis of the film and short story. Journal of Men’s Studies, 14(2), 247-251. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier.

Free Essays on If The Deaf Could Hear…

If the Deaf could hear†¦ If the ability to hear were granted to the deaf, would it make a difference? With new medical discoveries every day, it is entirely possible that we could have a cure for deafness within the next century; what would the impact on the deaf portion of society be if a cure were discovered? There are four major categories of deafness; people born completely deaf, people born hearing impaired, people that become deaf, and people that become hearing impaired. Whether they are born with their hearing problem or not is an important distinction because those born with limited hearing or without hearing are speech impaired as well. I differentiate between complete deafness and hearing impairment because hearing aids sometimes make the â€Å"deaf† hear nearly as well as the hearing. The people of these categories would be affected differently. Generally, those born completely deaf would be affected the more by a cure than those who become hearing impaired during the course of their lives. Perhaps, as a whole, a cure for deafness would not make much difference. After all, most deaf people are not actually completely without hearing. In addition, deaf people are fully capable of holding most jobs, playing sports, and almost everything that those who can hear can do. This is especially true of those who were born with full hearing, but lost it during their lives. I have a friend who was born partially deaf. Other than his difficulty with speech, he appears to be the same as everyone else. He can even dance to a beat. He is in so many ways the same as anyone else that if he were to become able to hear, I doubt life would change much for him. On the other hand, there are many deaf or partially deaf people whose lives would be dramatically changed by a deafness cure. There is a popular belief that a deaf subculture has developed that is distinctly different from society in more than just their ability to h... Free Essays on If The Deaf Could Hear†¦ Free Essays on If The Deaf Could Hear†¦ If the Deaf could hear†¦ If the ability to hear were granted to the deaf, would it make a difference? With new medical discoveries every day, it is entirely possible that we could have a cure for deafness within the next century; what would the impact on the deaf portion of society be if a cure were discovered? There are four major categories of deafness; people born completely deaf, people born hearing impaired, people that become deaf, and people that become hearing impaired. Whether they are born with their hearing problem or not is an important distinction because those born with limited hearing or without hearing are speech impaired as well. I differentiate between complete deafness and hearing impairment because hearing aids sometimes make the â€Å"deaf† hear nearly as well as the hearing. The people of these categories would be affected differently. Generally, those born completely deaf would be affected the more by a cure than those who become hearing impaired during the course of their lives. Perhaps, as a whole, a cure for deafness would not make much difference. After all, most deaf people are not actually completely without hearing. In addition, deaf people are fully capable of holding most jobs, playing sports, and almost everything that those who can hear can do. This is especially true of those who were born with full hearing, but lost it during their lives. I have a friend who was born partially deaf. Other than his difficulty with speech, he appears to be the same as everyone else. He can even dance to a beat. He is in so many ways the same as anyone else that if he were to become able to hear, I doubt life would change much for him. On the other hand, there are many deaf or partially deaf people whose lives would be dramatically changed by a deafness cure. There is a popular belief that a deaf subculture has developed that is distinctly different from society in more than just their ability to h...

Max Weber and Michel Foucault come from different schools of thought and this is most evident in their treatise on power Essay Example

Max Weber and Michel Foucault come from different schools of thought and this is most evident in their treatise on power Essay Example Max Weber and Michel Foucault come from different schools of thought and this is most evident in their treatise on power Essay Max Weber and Michel Foucault come from different schools of thought and this is most evident in their treatise on power Essay Max Weber has claimed that power arises when given two people in a social relationship one will try to get himself in a better position to enforce his will on the other despite any form of resistance.  Ã‚   This then assumes that there is conflict between these two parties in the social relationship as both try to enact his will and only one succeeds in doing so because level of power differ between individuals and groups and some who have limited power are subject to accept the will of those with greater power.According to Weber, there are 3 kinds of power: coercive which means that the object is forced to accept another’s will for fear of punishment and repercussions; utilitarian which means that the object obeys the will of the subject because it furthers his own interests and motives; finally, because the subject has a legitimate claim to power and necessitates obedience from others.   Weber further streamlines his definition of power with domination and authority, whe rein domination are the probabilities that one will be obeyed, its truest form being that obedience is given voluntarily as it is within the interest of the follower to do so.   Authority is a form of domination which Weber goes on to define in his treatise to take the form of traditional, charismatic and legal.With this kind of power, Weber illustrates a stratified form of social relationships wherein the one with power will be on top of the structure commanding the rest of society who obey him and who are positioned underneath him.Foucault’s definition of power is totally different from that of Weber’s since his sense of power is not associated with positioning or domination but is closely linked to knowledge.   Foucault claims that power is derived from the exchange of knowledge in the economy of discourse.   In this economy there is a constant exchange of knowledge the veracity of which is arbitrary. Thus, declarations of knowledge will only be accepted as tr ue if the receiver of that knowledge holds it to be true.   Upon acceptance of the knowledge as truth, the receiver is then affected by this truth thus resulting in the subject, the declarer, to have power over its object, the receiver.   Therefore, the definition of power for Foucault is the ability of one to affect another’s behavior and actions.Both sociologists agree that power comes with resistance.   In the case of Weber, resistance will come in the form of the opposite which the receiver would want to enforce as well but due to his limited level of power cannot but obey the command of the subject.   Foucault claims that the discourse that creates power is the same discourse that forms the resistance.   Within a dialogue, to forms of knowledge will be declared and the non-acceptance of the declarations as truth will create the resistance to the influence or power of the other.Because of the subjectivity of Foucault’s power and knowledge base, Weber†™s definition of power and its implementation in society is far more accepted as the true definition of power – and following Foucault, it would mean that his economy of discourse serves as the resistance to the power of Weber.References:Peterson, Ryan. Michael Foucault Power/Knowledge. 12 November 2001. 14 February 14, 2008. colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory54.htmMathiason, John. The Power to Legitimize: from Max Weber to Hans Blix. International Studies Association. 2004. 14 February 2008. http://classes.maxwell.syr.edu/intlmgt/readings/The_use_of_legitimation.htmPower, Domination, Legitimation, and Authority. Sociology 250. 1999. 14 February 2008. http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/o12f99.htm